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View From the House 3rd July

HELLO and welcome to my weekly View from the House for Tamworth Informed.

Every couple of months all of the Staffordshire MPs get together and discuss the issues relating to us our county. The Monday saw our most recent meeting. They agreed with me over that the launch of the ‘listening exercise’ going on over the Sir Robert Peel and our other Staffordshire health services was confusing and allowed misinformation to run wild. I will continue to fight to keep our services in Tamworth, we are a growing town and year on year our population only increases. To me, it is illogical to even consider changing the services we currently have.

On Tuesday I attended the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) event in parliament in order to support the ongoing campaign for a national campaign to prevent young sudden cardiac death. Every week, 12 apparently fit and healthy young (aged 35 and under) people in the UK die suddenly from an undiagnosed heart defect. In 80% of these cases, there will have been no signs or symptoms until it is too late, which is why CRY believes screening is so vitally important. I fully encourage young people to take CRY up on their offer of a free heart screening, you can book online on www.testmyheart.org.uk.

The Westminster work experience program is under full swing, last week we welcomed our second student Liam. Together we visited an event marking youth employment and what more we can do as MPs to get young people into work or training and education. It was useful to have Liam with me as he could talk about some of his experiences with my colleagues. I have signed myself and my office up to their campaign.

In the second half of the week, the Prime Minister was in Japan for the G20 Summit in Osaka where leaders from across the world came together to discuss international issues. Across the world we face some serious challenges to our global stability; one of these if the climate change crisis. The United Kingdom became the first G7 nation to commit to net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050. We cannot wait until it is too late to save our planet, and we owe it to the generations ahead to hand them an inheritance that is in a better state than when we found it. Since 2010, we have reduced emissions by 25%, but we MUST do more.

To celebrate National School Sports Week, I visited Shenstone Lodge School and under the guidance of PE Teaching specialist Ian Mitchell, I was shown the excellent work him and the team are doing in sport and PE. I even had a go at my own spelling capabilities in the classroom! Later in the day I met with the Tamworth Borough Council leader, Cllr Danny Cook to talk about many Tamworth schemes and proposals. I am excited with the plan they have to reinvigorate our Town Centre, to help it thrive and maintain its heritage. Thank you to everybody who got involved in the consultation – you have helped to create this vision!

Over the weekend we celebrated Armed Forces Day and thanked our service men and women across the country for the crucial role they play. It was a perfect opportunity to express our gratitude to those who are in regular service, reserves, cadets and those who have served in uniform – our brave veterans. The Shenstone Village Festival was in full swing over Friday, Saturday and Sunday and people came from across the patch to cash in on the roasting weather. When I visited, I saw the new refurbishment works in the library and had a chat with residents in the coffee shop there. I had the chance to see the Shenstone Quilters over in the church and see some of their handiwork up front.

This week I also launched my call for names, for a proposed memorial to all those soldiers who died in uniform since 1945. Along with David Biggs and Rev. Alan Gordon, we have contacted the Royal British Legion, The Ministry of Defence and the National Memorial Arboretum to find the names of constituents who have fought here and overseas and who deserve credit for their valiant sacrifice. I do not want to miss any names and so if you know a family member of a friend who you think should be included, do get in contact!